Zitationshinweis

Weitere Angaben:

Körperschaftlicher Herausgeber

Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik gGmbH

Abstract

"Decentralization reforms have been among the most important aspects of
state modernization in developing countries. From a normative perspective,
such reforms are expected to promote economic development and
democratization. Unfortunately, however, the course of real decentralization
processes has often been incoherent and defective. In this context, this
study analyses the challenges for successful decentralization in fragmented
polities focusing on Latin America and the special case of Ecuador. Based
on a political economy perspective on decentralization, we attempt to
show, how political fragmentation has affected decentralization. From
there, we develop criteria on how development assistance can at least
partly counter the negative effects of political fragmentation. Finally, we
analyse to which extend donor agencies have been pursuing such strategies
in Ecuador.
This study is the result of a research project, which has been carried out at
the German Development Institute (DIE) in 2004 and 2005 as part of the
DIE Post-Graduate Training Course for young professionals. Field research
was conducted from February to April 2004. The research project
was carried out in close cooperation with the Facultad Latinoamericana de
Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO) in Quito Ecuador, which supported the project
from its early stages. Among many FLACSO members, who gave
advice and valuable comments on different part of the study's content, the
authors especially thank Santiago Ortiz, who has intellectually and logistically
supported the project from its beginning. Many thanks also go to the
GTZ program on decentralization in Ecuador. Janos Zimmermann and his
team provided us with many valuable insights about the decentralization
process in Ecuador and development cooperation’s attempts to foster subsidiarity
oriented state structures.
We also profited much from different presentations of the study’s preliminary
results at FLACSO in Quito and at the Interamerican Development
Bank and the World Bank in Washington, where the respective staff members
constructively commented our findings. In Bonn, our colleagues at
the DIE also offered useful comments and constructive criticism. Special
thanks go to Matthias Krause, Tilman Altenburg and Oliver Schlumberger.
Finally, we would like to thank Gisela Kuhlmann, without whose skills
and patience, the technical process of editing this study would never have
come to an end." [author's abstract]